Utah Valley has started the season 2-0 for just the fifth time in program history and the second time since 2013-14. The Wolverines also opened last season with a 2-0 record. The program's best start came in 2008-09 when UVU began the season 4-0.

Utah Valley improved to 2-0 with an 89-60 win over UTEP at the UCCU Center. Dominick Nelson led UVU with 21 points and eight rebounds, while Tanner Toolson added 16 points and six boards. The Wolverines shot 52.1% from the field and held UTEP to 26.3%, outrebounding the Miners 44-28.

Utah Valley opened the 2024-25 season with a decisive 92-57 victory over Western Colorado on Monday night at the UCCU Center. Tanner Toolson and Hayden Welling led the team with 15 points each, while Dominick Nelson and Carter Welling added 13 points apiece. Toolson shot 6-of-12 from the field, including three 3-pointers, and Welling was perfect from the field, going 7-of-7. Utah Valley dominated the glass with a 43-24 rebound advantage and outscored the Mountaineers 52-30 in the paint.

Utah Valley returns four letterwinners, including two starters from last year's team that won 16 games and tied for fourth in the WAC with an 11-9 record.

Utah Valley was selected to finish fifth in the 2024-25 Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Preseason Coaches' Poll.

Phillips became the winningest first-year head coach in Utah Valley's Division I history last season, leading the Wolverines to a 16-16 overall record, breaking the previous wins mark of 12 wins set during the 2015-16 season under head coach Mark Pope. Phillips also wrapped up WAC play with the most league wins by a first-year head coach in UVU history with 11, breaking the previous record of six set by Pope in 2015-16. Phillips is the first coach in UVU history to finish WAC play with a winning record by a first-year head coach. He also set the UVU record by a first-year head coach for the best KenPom rating (162) and NCAA Net Rating (173). 

BROADCAST INFORMATION
Thursday morning's game will be broadcast live on the Summit League Networks, which is available midcosportsplus.com. The game will also be broadcast over the air waves on the Wolverine Sports Network with Jim McCulloch on the call. The radio broadcast will be aired live on ESPN 960 AM/103.9 FM radio in Utah County and 98.3 FM/105.1 (HD2) in Salt Lake City with a live stream available at ESPN960sports.com. Brice Larson will host the pregame/halftime/postgame show for the game.

ABOUT NORTH DAKOTA
North Dakota enters Thursday's game against Utah Valley with a 1-1 record. Thursday morning marks the team's home opener. In their season debut, UND faced a tough road loss, falling 82-56 to Colorado State, where first-half turnovers proved costly as CSU took control in the second half. Despite the loss, Treysen Eaglestaff and Mier Panoam showed early promise, each scoring in double figures. After a weather postponement of their game against UTSA, North Dakota bounced back with a commanding 85-54 victory over Dickinson State. Eaglestaff led with 17 points, while UND dominated the boards with a +18 rebounding advantage. This matchup against UVU is the first of two meetings between the programs this season, with the rematch set for Dec. 11 in Orem.

SERIES HISTORY VS. THE FIGHTING HAWKS
Utah Valley holds a 5-3 all-time record against North Dakota, with the upcoming game marking the ninth meeting between the two schools. UVU is 2-2 in games played at North Dakota, including an 83-75 overtime win in their last visit on Nov. 25, 2017. The last time the two teams met, Utah Valley defeated North Dakota 74-68 at home on Nov. 24, 2018.

LAST TIME vs. UND: Utah Valley 74, North Dakota 68 (Nov. 24, 2018 - Orem, Utah)
OREM--Jake Toolson scored 17 points and Conner Toolson added 15 to lead Utah Valley to a 74-68 win over North Dakota on Nov. 24, 2018, at the UCCU Center. The victory extended UVU's home win streak to 16 games, the third-longest active streak in the nation at the time.

WELLING BUILDING BLOCKS
Junior forward Carter Welling has already tallied seven blocks through his two games this season. The 3.5 blocks per game average ranks him sixth nationally. His seven blocks rank him ninth nationally in total blocks. 

POTTER PERFECT AT THE LINE
Junior forward Ethan Potter has started the season a perfect 6-of-6 at the free throw line. He's one of only 105 players that is yet to miss a free throw this season.

UVU RANKS TOP-10 NATIONALLY IN SIX STAT CATEGORIES
As a team, Utah Valley ranks in the top-10 nationally in six different stat categories. UVU ranks second in blocks per game (9.5), fifth in free throw attempts per game (36.0), sixth in field goal percentage defense (31.0), eighth in assists per game (23.5), eighth in effective field goal percentage (0.652), and eighth in field goal percentage (56.9).